Ferry bridge



July 10, 1928i P. C. KELLY ET AL FERRY BRIDGE 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 22. 1922,

July 10, 1928.

P. c. KELLY ET AL v FERRY BRIDGE Filed Nov. 22. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 10, 1928.

FERRY'BRIDGE Filed Nov. 22. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 July 10, I928. 1,676,993

P. c. KELLY ET AL FERRY BRIDGE Filed Nov. 22, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FcrwC- W @5676 .llanai'd Patented July 10, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Emma, 02 EADDON HEIGHTS, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS To AMERIC ENGIN ER- ING COMPAN Y, 01 PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- vA IA.

FERRY BRIDGE.

Applicationfiled November 22, 1922. Serial No. O2,577.

One object of our invention is to provide a relatively simple,substantial and practical combination of parts primarily for use in mooring ferry boats to a bridge or other structure, and the invention especially has to do with novel devices for insuring the deck of thebridge being flush with a deck of the boat when the two are moored together.

, Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatuswherebya ferry bridge is so supported that when connected to a boat, it will be free to rise and fall with the latter in responseto tide variations and variations in the live load.

lVe also desire to provide a novel device for releasably clamping together a boat and aferry bridge so that these two shall be prevented from independent vertical movement, the invention especially contemplating a simpleand convenientlyoperated cont-rolling mechanism whereby the position of the bridge may be governed and the boat connected. to or disconnected from said bridgewith the utmost ease and in a minimum of time;

A further object of our invention is to provide a novel combination of ferry bridge, main and auxiliary weights and gripping mechanism actuated by certain of said weights whereby a boat may be immovably held to the bridge or released therefrom at.

will. n

Our invention also contemplates novel combinations of apparatus for holding a ferry bridge to a boat by horizontally acting means, whichapparatus shall require a minimum of attention and be of a relatively simple nature.

These objects and other advantageous ends we attain as hereinafter set forth, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, in i which,

Fig. l is a front elevation of a ferry bridge constructed and equipped in accordance with our invention; v

F 2 is a plan of the gallows frame over the outer end of the bridge, together with the apparatus mounted thereon in accordance with'our invention; i

Fig. 3 is a plan. partly in horizontal section. illustrating the outer end of our ferry bridge; r i

F ig. 4 is an elevation partly in vertical section and on a larger scale than the pre winch motors.

In the above drawings, 1-1 and 2+2 represent vertical frame members having their top portions connected by a pair of parallel horizontal members 3-3 constituting a gallows frame mounted upon a suitable structure or foundation adjacent the outer end of a it'errybridge 1-, Whose inner end is preferably, though not necessarily, hinged to a fixed structure, in the manner comn'ion in this art. so as to permit the outer end of said bridge to rise and fall or be moved vertically at will.

For movably supporting a certain proportion of the weight of the outer end of the ferry bridge, we provide inain counterweights 5 hung from cablesG, which pass over sheaves 77 respectively and are also connected to opposite ends of a transverse member 8 extending under and connected to the bridge adjacent its outer or free end. These counterweights balance about 95 it? of the suspended dead load of the bridge, and for conveniently raising and lowering the outer end of the latter at will we provide an electric motor 9 operatively connected through suitable gearing to a drum 10 which with it is placed preferably at about the middle point of the top frame members 3.

From said drum cables 1111 extend over sheaves 12-12 on the frame to auxiliary weights 13-13 verticallymovable in guideways provided by frames 14 mounted at oppositesides of the outer end of the ferry bridge. Each of these auxiliary weights is so associated with its guideways that after being raised to a limited extent, it will ongage the same and thereafter as it continues to rise, will lift the outer end of the bridge. For this purpose said. weights are preferably provided with projecting lugs 15 15 operative in vertically extending slots 16 in the guideways or frames 14, and theWeight-s are lUU (ill

each pivotally connected to one end of a lever 17 fulcrumed on the adjacent frame 14. The opposite end of each lever connected through a link 18 with an arm 19 rigidly liked to a shaft 20 mounted in bearings 21 under the bridge so as to extend trai'isversely across one side of the outer end thereof and each shaft has also rigidly fixed to it a clamping or gripping lever 22. These levers project outwardly beyond the ferry bridge so that when drawn upwardly by the links 18 they will engage the under part of a ferry or other boat and cooperate with suit-- ably positioned shoulders such as are formed by strong backs 23, likewise projecting beyond the forward end of the bridge, to grip or clamp said boat so as to removably hold it with its main deck flush with the deck or top surface of the bridge.

\Vhile the auxiliary weights with their frames and associated levers 17 are preferably placed at the extreme sides of the outer end of the bridge, the shafts 20 are so positioned that the clamping levers 22 will engage parts of a boat immediately adjacent to or in engagement with the outer end of the bridge between said auxiliary weights and under the strong backs 23. These lat ter are of any suitable construction and are so placed that they will cooperate with the clamping levers 22 to grip the bow of a boat with a force depending upon the mass of the auxiliary weights.

For drawing the boat toward the outer end of the bridge and preventing its moving horizontally away from the same, we mount upon said bridge a pair of mooring winches each consisting of a drum 24 connected through suitable worm gearing with an electric motor 25, preferably placing these winches at the extreme sides of the outer end of said bridge. The boats with which the bridge is to be used are equipped with devices such as eyes 26 in position to be engaged by mooring hooks 97 connected to the ends of the cables from the drums 24 of the mooring winches and, as shown in Fig. 7, each of the motors .25 is connected in circuit with a suitable controller or switch 28 and also with an overload relay or contactor 29 which may be adjusted at will to automatically open the circuit of said motor when the load thereon. and consequently the current flowing in said circuit, exceeds a predetermined amount.

The motor 9 for actuating the auxiliary counterweights is likewise connected in circuit with a hand operated controller 30 (Fig. 6) and with an automatic switch 31 having an arm 32 (Fig. 4) held resiliently by means not shown so as to be in a position where it may be actuated by one of said counterweights when this moves into a predetermined position. The position of the arm 32 after it has been actuated by the counterweight 13 is shown in Fig. 4. It is noted that the counterweight i3 is in its lowcst position and resting upon the bridge. This automatic switch 31 is preferably of such construction that its movable contact member normally engages a pair 01" contacts 33 and 3* as long as its arm 32 is disengaged from the lug of the auxiliary counterweight 13. lVhcn however said counterweight cugages and actuutes said arm, the movable contact 35 of the automatic controller electrically connects two other contacts 36 and 37.

\Vith the above described arrangement of parts, when a boat is to be moored to the bridge after having moved into engagement with or immediately adjacent its outer end, the handle of the main controller 30 for the motor 9 is moved to its lowering position connecting a rotor 38 and a iield winding 39 of said motor 9 in sericscircuit relation and also energizing a solenoid brake, the encrgizing winding of which is indicated at 40 in Fig. 6.

The energization of the solenoid-brain: winding 40 causes the release of the solenoid brake, permitting the shaft of the motor 9 as well as the drum 10 to move freely. The substantially simultaneous energization of the series-connected motor 9 results in the swinging downwardly of the bridge i until the strong backs 23 rest upon the top surface of the main deck of the boat. which is then flush with the top surface of the bridge. Thereafter, the continued descent of the auxiliary weights 13 in the guide frames M c: uses said weights to swing the levers 17 on their fulcrums, thereby also swinging the clamping levers 22 up into cngagen'icnt with the under part of the bow of the boat and causing this to be rigidly gripped between said levers and the strong backs 23.

The mooring hooks 27 are now engaged with the eyes 26 and the controllers for the motors 25 of the winches are operated to such position as to cause the drums 24- to wind in their cables. Said controllers after having been operated to this position. may be left therein, since when the boat X cugages the outer end of the l'n'idge, the further operation of the winches is auton'iati ally stopped by the opening of the overload circuitbrcakers 29 in the circuits of their respective motors. The downward move ment of the auxiliary weights above referred to, in bringing the movable contact 35 of the automatic controller into engagement with the stationary contacts 36 and 37. cuts off current from the motor 9 and forms a closed circuit, wherein the rotor 38 and the field winding 39 of said motor 2) are connected in series-circuit relation whereby the motion of said rotor 38 may be rapidly d amped.

The boat is now moored to the bridge and the passage of heavy loads across the outer end of the latter onto or from said boat does not and cannot cause relative movement of the bridge and boat, although these structures are free to rise and fall together, since the presentcircuit arrangement is such that the energizing winding 4C0 of the solenoid brake is still energized, causing the brake to be held off the shaft of the motor 9. All necessity for gang planks is therefore avoided, loads passing over the end of the boat being sustained by the buoyancy of the latter as well as by the ferry bridge and relative movement being prevented by the clamping levers 22 which may exert, for example, a gripping torce of eight thousand pounds.

In casting oli, the movable elements of the mooring winch controllers are lirst thrown into such positions as to ease oil the cables and are thereafter moved to a neutral position, whereupon the mooring hooks 27 may be disengaged from the eyes 26. The main hoist controller 30 is now operated to cause the motor 9 to raise the auxiliary weigl'its 13, thereby automatically releasing the clamping levers which swing downwardly to disengage the boat.

The continued operation of the motor 9 causes the lugs on the auxiliary weights to engage the upper-ends of the slots of the guides 14 and then causes an upward movement of the outer end of the bridge until the strong backs are free from the boat deck, whereupon the movable element of the controller 30 is brought to its neutral position. The motor s thus stopped and the solenoid brake is automatically set, thereby holding the bridge immovably in its raised position above the boat deck level, ready to'be 10wered so that itsstrong backs and clamping levers may be caused to grip the next boat coming in.

It is to be understood that the motors25 are connected to the drums 24 of the mooring winches by self-locking worm gearing which, after said drums have been operated to wind up their cables and thus draw a boat into engagement with the bridge, will hold said cables taut and prevent overhauling. The cables 11 for the auxiliary counterweights are kept taut by backweighting the drum 10, for which purpose an auxiliary cable has one end connected to said drum andpasses over a sheave 51 to a small weight 52 hung on its second end.

From the above description it will be appreciated that we have provided relatively simple apparatus for insuring the decks of the bridge and boat moored thereto being flush when the two are connected while.

permitting the automatic rise and fall of these connected structures under variations of load or tide. Owing to the simplicity of construction, there is no necessity for skilled labor for operation ormaintenance, and the invention eli'cctually prevents accidents which have hitherto frequently occurred by reason of the relative movement of boat aiid bridge when heavy loads passed from one to the-other.

We claim:

1. The combination of a ferry-bridge structure to which a. boat is to be moored; at least one strong back on said structure; and means adapted to exert an upward thrust on said boat tending to hold the same in engagement with said strong back.

2. The combination oi a ferry bridge hinged at one end toa. fixed structure; and means for releasably gripping the opposite end oi said bridge to a boat to cause them to rise and tall together; with a weight for the bridge connected to control said gripping means, the gripping engagement involving an upward thrust on said boat.

In combination, a hinged terry bridge; a weight; means for succesively applyingto and removing from said bridge the weight; with means actuated by said weight for releasably gripping the bridge toa boat when the weight has been applied to the bridge.

at. In combination, a ferry bridge; a weight; means for successively raising and lowering said weight from and to .said

bridge; at least one strong back for the bridge; and a member actuated by the weight adapted to exert an upward thrust against a boat whenthe weight is applied.

5. The combination of a hinged bridge having a shoulder; levers mounted on the outer end 01' said bridge; and mechanism in eluding an actuating weight movable independently of said bridge for causing said levers to exert an upward thrust so as to" hold the boat in engagement with said shoulder with its deck substantially flush with the top surface of the bridge.

The combination (it a ferry-bridge structure to which a boat is to be moored; strong backs projecting from said structure; levers lulcrumed-on the structure in positions to permit of a portion of a boat entering between them and the strong backs; with mechanism for actuating the levers to cause them to clamp said portion of the boat against the strong backs.

7. The combination oi abridge to which a boat is to be moored; strong backs projecting from said bridge; levers fulcrumed on the bridge in positions to permit of a portion of a boat entering between themand the strong backs; and bridge-lifting means including mechanism for actuating the levers to tlLlSGtllGlll to clamp said portion of the boat against the strong backs.

8. In combination, a bridge; a boat adjacent thereto; means for so moving the bridge that the deck thereof is contiguous with that of said boat; strong backs on the bridge lie adapted to extend over the deck of said boat; and motor-controlled, weight-actuated means for clamping the deck of said boat against said strong backs. I

9. The combination of a ferry-bridge structure to which a boat is to be moored; clamping means for securing a boat to said structure to prevent its relative vertical movement; and independent means for holding said heat to prevent its horizontal movement relatively to said structure, said means comprising an electrically operated winch and automatic control means therefor.

10. The combination with a ferr -bridge structure to which a boat is to be moored; of means for so securing a boat to said structure as to prevent relative vertical movement, said means including a lever positioned to exert an upward thrust on the end of the boat.

11. The combination of a bridge; clamping means for securing a boat to the bridge to prevent its vertical relative movement; electrical control means for said clamping means; and independent means for exerting a horizontal force on the boat to hold it toward said bridge and prevent its disengagement from the clamping means.

12. The combination of a ferry-bridge structure to which a boat is to be moored; an electrically driven mooring winch including a cable for holding a boat to said structure; and means for automatically cutting oif current from the motor of said winch when the boat has been brought into engagement with the structure.

13. The combination of a bridge; a mooring winch thereon including an electric motor and a cable for mooring a boat to the bridge; with an overload circuit breaker in circuit with said motor set to cut off current therefrom when the load on said motor is increased beyond a predetermined amount by engagement of the boat with the bridge.

14. In combination, a bridge having raised and lowered positions a motor; means for operatively associating said motor and said bridge; said means including a movable weight carried by said bridge when it is in its lowered position only; and a control switch for said motor, said switch being operated by said weight.

1:). In combination, a bridge having raised and lowered positions; a weight resting on said bridge when it is in its lowered position only; a motor for raising the weight from said bridge and subsequently raising both the bridge and the weight; controlling means for determining the operation of said motor; and brake mechanism for holding said weight and bridge in the raised position; said controlling means being further adapted to effect the operation of said brake mechanism.

16. In combination, a bridge; gripping means adapted to secure said bridge to a boat; a weight for actuating said gripping means; a motor lor raising the weight to release the boat; said motor also raising said bridge; brake mechanism for the motor whereby said weight and bridge may be held in a raised position; and controlling means for said motor and said brake said controlling means eliecting the inoperation of said brakeavhen said weight is operating on said gripping means.

17. in combination, a bridge having raised and lowered positions; gripping means for securing said bridge to a boat; a. weight for actuating said gripping means; independent means for holding a boat to the bridge by a horizontally acting force; a motor for raising said weight to release said gripping means, said motor also being adapted to raise said brid e; a brake adapted to hold said weight ant bridge in a raised position; and controlling means for said motor and said brake whereby the brake may be rendered effective when the bridge has moved to its raised position and the motor substantially simultaneously rendered inctl'rctive.

18. In combination, a hinged bridge; main weights counter-balancing the greater portion of the weight of said bridge; auxiliary weights; a motor for raising and lowering said auxiliary weights; gripping means operated by said movable auxiliary weights; and means whereby said motor becomes operative to raise said bridge and said weights at; Will.

19. In combination, a hinged bridge; main weights counter-balancing the greater portion of the weight 01' said bridge; auxiliary weights; a motor for raising and lowering said auxiliary weights; means whereby said motor becomes operative to raise said bridge and said weights at will; with mechanism controlled by the auxiliary weights for clamping a boat to the bridge when the latter is lowered;

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20. The combination of a bridge hinged at one end to a fixed st ructure; main weights connected to the opposite end of the bridge and counterhalancing the greater part of the weight of said end; frames on said end of the bridge; auxiliary weights movahly guided in said frames and adapted to operatively engage the same: a motor operative upon said auxiliary weights and connected to raise or lower them with the outer end of the bridge at will; clamping levers actuated by the movement of said auxiliary weights in said guide frames; and strong backs on the bridge positioned to cooperate with the clamping levers to hold the deck of a boat flush with the deck of the bridge when the auxiliary weights are lowered thereon.

21. In combination. a ii'erry bridge; weightactuated mechanism for exerting an upward thrust on the under side of a boat; and eleclli;

trical control means for said mechanism adapted to ermit said boat and said bridge to rise and all together.

22. Amovable bridge; a motor; meant; for operatively associating said bridge and said motor; said means including a Weight; and a switch operated by said Weight.

23. A movable bridge; a motor; means for operatively associating said bridge and said motor; brake mechanism for said motor; and controlling means for said brake and said motor, said controlling means being operative to render effective said brake and to render inelfective said motor and thereafter to render ineffective said motor only,

24. In combination, a movable bridge; a movable weight; a guiding frame for limiting the path of travel of said weight inde' pendent of said bridge; a motor operatively associated with said Weight; a brake for said motor; a control switch for said motor; and means for controlling said brake and said motor.

PEIRCE CROSBY KELLY. HERBERT ALTON LANDIS. 

